Take off that mask

So we are part of the same tribe, that hostess and I. We both believe that the pandemic is deadly serious. That human life is sacred. That we must do what we can to preserve it. And yet, I fear that—like many of my friends and colleagues—she has, over the past months, become too attached to aspects of hygiene theater that ultimately do more to reassure us or to showcase our altruism than to combat the pandemic. All over the country, schools continue to close for "deep cleaning" even though the coronavirus rarely, or never, transmits by touch. All over the country, people remain too reluctant to meet friends, to see acquaintances, or to take that business lunch. And all over the country, fully vaccinated people needlessly wear masks outdoors. It's time to stop. Over the past year, we have had to make all kinds of adjustments to our everyday lives to combat a deadly pandemic. The reason to take these actions was to save lives, not to adopt a superior lifestyle or show off our virtue. For those of us who are fully vaccinated, those actions are—at least until the situation changes, as it one day might with the emergence of new variants—no longer necessary. If a restaurant or coffee shop requests that you wear a mask, do so. But when and where possible, it is time to resume normal life.